Since well before I loved lifting weights, I loved writing. My parents will tell you that when I was little, I had this burning (and often annoying) need to narrate and inform. I’d sit down with paper and Crayon, writing and illustrating scenes from Power Rangers or Legend of Zelda. I’d provide vocal play-by-play AND …
The New Year is over a month old now, and most New Years resolutions have been forgotten or tossed aside. There’s a simple reason for this: most resolutions focus too much on the RESULT and not enough on the PROCESS. This mindset has been HUGE for me in athletics, coaching, school, relationships, you name it. …
This was a solid week for writing. I posted a more op-ed, off-topic piece about egoism in the personal training/strength coaching world and my latest baseball article for Stack got posted. There’s another one about baseball-specific conditioning in the hopper, so keep an eye out for that. You can check those articles out here: Tom …
I traveled a lot in 2013, which meant lifting weights away from home. And usually, this means sucking it up and working out at a commercial gym. You know how I feel about commercial gyms. But this year I smartened up. Each time I traveled, I scouted out an awesome training facility and made sure …
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” – Joseph Brodsky I did more reading in 2013 than in the past decade combined. Unfortunately, I still didn’t read for pleasure as much as I’d like. Even more unfortunately, I tried and failed (twice) to read some fiction. Either way, …
A new co-worker recently made his home out on the quad in front of my building. His name is Indomitable, and he’s a 10-foot tall Kodiak bear cast in bronze. Besides looking like an absolute boss, Indomitable reminds me of a few important lessons each time I walk by him: 1. Don’t go camping in …
The (Not So) Dirty Half Dozen – the 6 Best Foods for Bulking this Winter Read More »
The other day, we concluded that box squats are awesome, although not interchangeable with regular squats. In part 1 of this three part series, we talked about all the good reasons to use box squats in a strength training program. Let’s recap: BOX SQUAT PROS They teach you to sit back, reinforcing good squat technique …
The year I became a man was 2009. Not because I turned 21 years old. Not because I hit my first collegiate home run. And not because I was fending off beautiful women from every angle (hint – I wasn’t). I became a man in 2009 because, after several years of misguided weight training, I …
1. UPRIGHT ROWS Conventional upright rows (performed with a straight bar or EZ bar, a narrow grip and pulling up to the chin) are a surefire way to aggravate cranky shoulders. The exercise almost perfectly replicates the clinical test for impingement syndrome: touch your hand to your opposite shoulder and lift your elbow up. If …
If I could only do one thing for conditioning and fat loss, it would be hill sprints. There are lots of ways to get in awesome shape. Prowler pushes, bike intervals, body weight complexes, battling ropes – they all work. But nothing matches the energy and the mental challenge of sprinting up a huge hill. …
